anyone notice the further south you get in nj, the fewer the veg options are?

uhhh yes. i've only been to south jersey and the options are pretty slim. I've only ever been to diners where i get french fries that inevitably make me sick for some reason. i try to just stick to a fruit cup now and have everyone just think I'm on a diet.

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anyone notice the further south you get in nj, the fewer the veg options are?

uhhh yes. i've only been to south jersey and the options are pretty slim. I've only ever been to diners where i get french fries that inevitably make me sick for some reason. i try to just stick to a fruit cup now and have everyone just think I'm on a diet.

i get sick just at the thought of only being able to get fries somewhere. then i get depressed if i actually have to eat them because i end up thinking of all the yummy vegan food i could be eating elsewhere.

I just went to Mesob in Montclair for lunch. That was REALLY good. I got the vegetarian sampler, which is $12 for six different dishes and injera. They give plenty -- I got the "for 1" platter, and couldn't finish it. They've also got some really neat vegan chocolates for dessert now, with fillings with different spices, and those were very good, but perhaps not worth the $8 for four tiny chocolates.

and perlin's vegetarian is actually pescetarian (i refuse to get anything from there on principle)

i think there just isn't enough demand for all-vegan restaurants in s. jersey. they keep closing.

for example, there's a new vegetarian chinese food place in collingswood (http://655greenhouse.com/), and we went there, and we were served this beverage that when we asked what the little cloudy white translucent gelatin-y rectangles were, we were told "jell-o" but i knew it wasn't jell-o specifically, it seemed like agar, and i asked if it was agar, and the owner had no idea what i was talking about. :-( that didn't give me much confidence in the veganity of the rest of the food. i would much rather spend an extra $4 for the bridge and go into philly for food that i knew for sure was vegan.

as for the pop shop, make sure not to go early on saturday (if you're child-free that is) it's ridiculously packed and noisy with kids running all over the place.

What's up, Jersey! I'm going to be in Sandy Hook for work this Sunday until probably Thursday. I'll be driving up so I'll have my car, and am all about doing some exploration in the evenings when I'm off. Are there any places within a reasonable distance to Sandy Hook? What's up with seitan gyros?? That would probably make my year. Any other info about that side of Jersey? From what I understand, there isn't much to Sandy Hook itself.

Kaya's Kitchen, in Belmar, is about two towns over from Tinton Falls. They may have a seitan gyro. If not, they have a pretty diverse comfort food menu. They are just a little pricey for the style of food they offer.

Nothing really happens in Tinton Falls but something may be going on in Asbury (Park). I love going to the beach this time of year. You can follow the shoreline and walk through, like, ten towns. If you have a bike, you can bring it and enjoy the boardwalk. If not, there are bike rentals...just not sure if they are open in February.

What's up, Jersey! I'm going to be in Sandy Hook for work this Sunday until probably Thursday. I'll be driving up so I'll have my car, and am all about doing some exploration in the evenings when I'm off. Are there any places within a reasonable distance to Sandy Hook? What's up with seitan gyros?? That would probably make my year. Any other info about that side of Jersey? From what I understand, there isn't much to Sandy Hook itself.

ETA: I'm staying in Tinton Falls if that makes any difference.

there's a vegan bakery called [url="http://www.papaganache.com/"]Papa Ganache[/url] in Keyport, which is pretty close to Sandy Hook. i've never been, but it sounds like a nice local place to get cupcakes.

Red Bank is pretty veg-friendly and can be fun to walk around. plus it's like Mecca if you're a Kevin Smith fan.

youthtildeath wrote:

Kaya's Kitchen, in Belmar, is about two towns over from Tinton Falls.

it's a liiiiiiittle bit further than that. i'd estimate about a 15-20 minute drive.

_________________vegan cheese bigamy is not allowed. - LisaPunk

So today at PPK I learned how to fork up a falafel and a taco. - craiger_ny

If you haven't already discovered them, here are some places you might enjoy:In Red Bank:http://funkandstandard.com/Funk and Standard is home to the "Yummy Yummy juicebar" and also has a case full of vegan baked goods from Papa Ganache and Cinnamon Snail as well as kale wraps, juices, smoothies

http://www.goodkarmacafenj.com/Good Karma Cafe: vegan and organic food in a cute but small store front.the seitan "Philly Cheese steak" is my current fave on the menu recently dethroning the Seitan Gyros

http://www.eurasianeatery.comEurasian Eatery also has a lot of vegan options. their website kinda sucks but if you manually correct the links you can get to their menu

Just outside of Red Bank in Shrewsbury is Dean's Natural Market if you want to grab a few things to assemble a meal, snacks or get a sandwich or salad to go:http://www.deansnaturalfoodmarket.com/

There is also a Whole Foods inland of Sandy Hook in Middletown

If you're in the mood for an evening outing, The SilverBall museum in Asbury Park is a favorite of mine:http://silverballmuseum.com/...hundreds of vintage pinball machines on free play for a flat fee at the door.

Thanks, jerseyjen! I think I'm going to ride up to Good Karma Cafe tonight if I stop being lazy since it's only like 7 miles from my hotel. I might also give that Thai place a try since it's my fav. Thanks again.

Does anybody remember when Kaya's Kitchen was Veggie Works - hands down, the best veg restaurant NJ has ever seen. Back then, the prices were reasonable and fair and they had that amazing all you can eat organic salad bar. The best was getting a huge salad topped with a combination of their creamy garlicy dressing and the asian vinaigrette, I DREAM ABOUT THOSE SALADS! And then you got the bread basket with that delicious raisin walnut bread with a healthy scoop of earth balance. They had amazing entrees - Enchiladas, french onion soup topped with veganrella (which was the shitaake back in the day), grilled seitan steak with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, perogies!, and towards the end they got those chkn legs with the sticks in them which they bbqed! Holy moly, it was great. Then, afterward I'd go to Strollos and get soft serve italian ice on a cone - peanut butter italian ice with chocolate sprinkles, yess! Still, my summertime favorite.

Now, I wish I could like them, but I can't justify paying those prices when I know I can pay just about the same, and get a 5-star meal at Horizons in Philly.

Does anybody remember when Kaya's Kitchen was Veggie Works - hands down, the best veg restaurant NJ has ever seen. Back then, the prices were reasonable and fair and they had that amazing all you can eat organic salad bar. The best was getting a huge salad topped with a combination of their creamy garlicy dressing and the asian vinaigrette, I DREAM ABOUT THOSE SALADS! And then you got the bread basket with that delicious raisin walnut bread with a healthy scoop of earth balance. They had amazing entrees - Enchiladas, french onion soup topped with veganrella (which was the shitaake back in the day), grilled seitan steak with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies, perogies!, and towards the end they got those chkn legs with the sticks in them which they bbqed! Holy moly, it was great. Then, afterward I'd go to Strollos and get soft serve italian ice on a cone - peanut butter italian ice with chocolate sprinkles, yess! Still, my summertime favorite.

Now, I wish I could like them, but I can't justify paying those prices when I know I can pay just about the same, and get a 5-star meal at Horizons in Philly.

A new South Jersey vegan eatery has just opened! Wildflower Earthly Vegan Fare, in Millville, NJ, is affordable, very casual, and very delicious! Melissa and Eric use as many local and organic ingredients as possible. The menu changes weekly, so check their website for the latest info. http://wildflowervegan.com/

I know its been mentioned.....but I just gotta say again how much I LOVE Loving Hut in Ledgewood. Sidney the owner is so nice & great, and the food is soooo freaking good. Been going once a week for lunch while working out that way. Philly Cheesesteak Sub is outta this world. They make me happy! He's trying to get the word & name out there more than it is now...and bring in non-veg people to realize that even if you aren't veg, you can love the food! I helped him set up an advertising campaign to expand to a wider audience of people in the "regular population" all over Morris County. I want them to get super busy & never go away!! Everyone go there, if you haven't been already! :)

_________________"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."